November Newsletter

The Portland Greens in my view is a tool for us as a collection of individuals to use to achieve success with the issues that are important to us. I’ve worked hard at developing this chapter and have beyond it developed other groups and fostered many connections. At tomorrow’s monthly members meeting I am beginning the process of offering all that I have developed to a group of people I have worked with as Greens and Occupiers. I think we are ready to move together to the next level.

This last 26th we had our October member’s meeting and open meet and greet. See minutes here.

We meet the last Wednesday of every month at People’s Coop, enjoy the farmer’s market then come upstairs to the community room for our members meeting and meet and greet. 3029 SE 21st Avenue, 7-8 members meeting/8-9 work meeting. Proposed agenda is here. Anyone who is a member of the Coop and is thinking they can make it please let me know so we can get a discount.

We are also considering a Portland Area candidates forum mid-January. Come to members meeting to help plan it.

Occupy Portland has stabilized. Office space will be rented. The spokes council is being used. And as it gets wetter and colder the protest/movement is getting more intricate and political. So now the Portland Green Party is pulling back a bit to take care of some Green business.

Our State Party needs some love. The Pacific Green Party convention on the 19th was a generally productive positive affair. But it was clear that we need to be a better resource for them.

Our issue campaigns have overwhelming interest with the boost of the Occupy Movement, but our campaign leads are too busy to handle the pace of the Occupiers.

Our chapter needs an influx of core participation because we have grown beyond what just a few can manage.

My short term goal is to have our chapter be functional to my satisfaction by the end of February. I would then ask the board to let me take a month or two off from my volunteer duties as Executive Director so that I can focus on other volunteerism. I think this will be a good test of the group’s strength and will given me the break I need.

The Portland Green Party is established to work for sustainability and conservation, peace, social justice, and grassroots democracy through the electoral system.